Urban Agriculture Shows Potential to Improve Food Security

18 Feb Urban Agriculture Shows Potential to Improve Food Security

Writing in The Conversation, Miguel Altieri proposes that urban agriculture could help to improve food security in U.S. cities, particularly for underserved populations. Altieri points out that studies draw varying conclusions about the amount of food urban agriculture can realistically provide for cities, based on the lack of available land. However, he points out that using the open land in cities could produce a significant amount of food for local consumers. He describes research at the University of California, Berkeley, that showed how intercropping, compost, and rotations can produce high yields from urban plots. Altieri also explores the barrier that lack of land ownership poses for urban farmers.